Until Death Do Us Not Part
by CaptainRocket
Summary: Ray Stantz is trying to help out his friend Sadie McDonnell by setting her up on a blind date with a fellow Ghostbuster, Peter Venkman.  Only problem is, the young widow is faced with something unexpected...her deceased husband.  Peter/OC pairing
1. Moving On

I started posting this story a year or so ago and removed it because I was struggling with it. But at the urging of my faithful beta, I finished it and reposting the story.

Disclaimer: If you know 'em, I don't own 'em. This is all fake & I'm not getting paid for it.

Hope you enjoy!

_**Until Death Do Us Not Part**_

_**A Real Ghostbusters Fic**_

Chapter One - Moving On

"Trust me," Ray Stantz said as he looked over the counter at the woman on the other side. "You'll love him."

Shaking her head, she looked at the stack of books that sat on the counter and began to run them through the scanner to check him out. "I just don't know, Ray. I'm not ready."

"Please, Sadie," he said as he leaned forward against the edge of the counter. Resting his elbows on the countertop, he gave her his best boyish smile. The smile that usually got her to do anything that he'd ask. "I wouldn't be asking if I didn't think you'd enjoy yourself." Taking a deep breath, he continued. "He's a nice guy."

Frowning, she lifted her eyes to look at her deceased husband's friend. Jimmie had been a long time friend of Ray since they first meet at a warehouse fire. Ray and his fellow Ghostbusters had been there fighting a group of trolls that had taken over the old warehouse and when the buildings caught fire that was when the crew from Jimmie's department to extinguish the flames. During the aftermath of the fire, her husband had spent time talking to the four men, his curiosity about what had happened had began a lasting friendship that had lasted almost ten years until her husband's death.

"Why does everyone feel the need to set me up with every friend, cousin and co-worker?" She turned away from Ray and walked out from behind the counter. "I'm happy with how things are."

Biting his lower lip, Ray watched her move around bookcases until she was hiding from him. Three years since her husband's death and she was still grieving. Since her husband's untimely death, Sadie had focused herself solely on work and avoiding anyone from her life before. Always coming up with excuses not to go out for dinner or spend time with anyone else.

Taking a deep breath, Ray moved through the small bookstore causing him to smile. It reminded him of the store that he owned for a few years after he and the others went their way after the mayor forced them to close down after Gozer had destroyed part of the city. Once they opened up the business again, Ray had sold the bookstore and went back to doing what he loved.

"It's none of my business," Ray said as he folded his arms and leaned his left shoulder against the bookcase. "But, it's been over three years ago since – "

"You're right, Ray," Sadie said, her head snapping to the right to look at him. "It is none of your business."

She stormed off again, leaving him standing there once more alone. Not this time, he thought as he straightened himself and followed after her. When he reached up to her she was instructing a young man to take her place at the front counter and was moving towards the rear of the store where the office was located. Just as she began to shut the door behind her, Ray held out his hand to prevent her from escaping.

"I said I didn't want to talk about this anymore, Ray," she said as she kept her back to him.

"That's the problem, Sadie. You never want to talk about it." Placing his hand on her shoulder, he urged her to turn around to face him. Her eyes full of tears that threatened to fall down her cheeks as she stared back at him. Shaking his head, he sighed. "Jimmie wouldn't have wanted you to go on your life alone. You know that he would have wanted you to move on, to be happy."

Lowering her head, she couldn't face him. "I can't, Ray. I can't do it."

He nodded. "Sure you can." Ray lifted his hands to cup her tear streaked cheeks in his palms. Tilting her head back, he looked down at her swollen eyes. "Just take a chance to live life again."

Wrapping his arms around her, he pulled her close to his body and held her tight. They remained in each other's arms for a short time before Sadie pulled away to wipe the tears from her face.

"So…" she said as she ran her hand over her face to wipe the tears away. "You know him?"

Ray smiled, nodding. "Yeah. He's a friend of mine."

"What is he like?"

A half shrug lifted Ray's right shoulder. "Smart. Funny. Well spoken."

Pulling several tissues from a box on the corner of the desk, she dabbed at her eyes and took a deep breath. "You trust him?"

Nodding, he said, "Of course I do. If I didn't I sure wouldn't be trying to set up a meeting with the two of you."

Taking another deep breath, Sadie slowly exhaled. Lifting her hand she pointed a finger at him. "I'm not making any promises. One meeting."

"One date," Ray said as he ignored her choice of words.

"Meeting," she said emphasizing the word. "One. And no promises."

"Guess I'll take what I can get from you, Sadie." Holding out his arms, his smile grew. "Come here."

She nodded as she fell into his arms this time, smiling as her friend wrapped her in the warmth of his embrace. As much as she wanted to deny it, Ray was right. Jimmie wouldn't have wanted her to live the rest of her life alone, grieving over his death. She was scared at the thought of starting over, dating and everything else that might occur. But if Ray trusted this man that he was wanting her to meet then she should too.

"It's going to be alright, Sadie."

"I hope you're right, Ray. I hope you're right."


	2. Justification for Murder

Chapter Two – Justification for Murder

His nose wrinkled when he looked at the opaque green mass float above him in the air. Its arms stretched out wide as it flew around in circles making noises similar to an airplane. Groaning, he pulled the pillow out from beneath his head and rolled over onto his stomach and held the pillow over his head to block the sounds coming from above him.

Hoping that hiding his head would make the thing go away, he closed his eyes and tried to think about anything that would make him happy. Warm, sunny beach. Tropical drink in his hand. The sound of steel drums being carried by the soft breeze.

"Botta botta botta botta!"

He could feel the pulsing of the vein in his head as the sound of gunfire from overhead filled his dreams. The images of planes coming in and bombing the beach took focus. A soft whistle started from overhead and began to grow louder until a large boom hit right above him.

"That's it!" he screamed as he flipped his body over onto his back. Jumped to his feet he began to bounce on the bed while waving his arms around in the air. "Come back here you little blob."

Downstairs, sitting quietly at her desk, Janine Melnitz typed on the keyboard as she stared at the computer before her. She paused momentarily from inputting invoices from recent jobs. Rolling her eyes, she blew out a heavy breath as she shook her head. Just another typical day in the firehouse, she thought as she pushed her chair back from the desk to stand up.

"One of these days," she said aloud to herself. Walking around her desk, she made her way towards the stairs. If she was going to continue this day she was going to need something stronger than the Diet Coke that had been sitting on the corner of her desk. "I'm going to need something strong."

"If you weren't dead already I'd kill you!" she heard screamed as she reached the top of the staircase.

Running her hand through her hair, she fought the urge to pick up the baseball bat that leaned against the wall where it had been deposited after returning from a baseball game and enter the sleeping quarters to bludgeon the man that was yelling. She paused momentarily as she ran her fingers over the wrap around the bat thinking about her options. If she did go through with her thoughts of using the bat against her employer she'd be in jail, which would provide the much needed vacation that she had been wanting. On the other hand, knowing her luck he'd come back and haunt her.

Looking at the door that was the only barrier between her and the screaming man she decided that it would be pointless to take out her anger on the man. Besides, if events went as they usually did he'll be covered in the thick green ectoplasm and would be locking himself in the shower for the next hour. She smiled, there was justice at times. Didn't matter how it came just as long as it did.

Entering the small kitchen she found the three men that she worked for gathered around, talking quietly. As she stepped inside the three quickly became silent and turned to look at her. Waving her hand in the air, she continued forward towards the coffee maker.

"Oh. Don't stop talking because of me," she said. "I'm sure it's nothing that I want to hear about anyway."

Winston Zeddmore picked up the powered creamer from the countertop and held it in her direction. "We're not talking about you, Janine."

Accepting the container, she shrugged. "That's all well and good."

The three men watched her take a long drink of the coffee that she had just poured for herself. She nearly drank half the cup before lowering it from her lips to refill the cup once again. Turning around, she looked at each of the men.

"So. You're going to get him laid or do I need to hire a hooker for him?" she said matter-of-factly before taking another drink of her coffee.

"Excuse me?" Egon Spengler questioned as he lowered his head to look at the receptionist over the rim of his glasses.

Ray nearly choked on the water that he was taking a drink from the bottle in his hand. Wiping his lips with the back of his hand, he coughed. "What?"

The corner of her lips turned into a smile as she looked at the three men. "I'm a receptionist. I have to pay attention to small details. I notice things that none of you even see." She lifted her hand into the air and pointed out of the kitchen in the direction of the yelling. "He's driving me nuts. When's the last time he got laid? Five? Six months ago? And I'm not talking about him taking matters in his own hand either."

Another choke came from Ray as he attempted to take another drink of his water. Lifting his hand, Winston patted the other man on the back to help him clear his throat.

"Is it that noticeable?" Winston asked.

"It's noticeable to people that live in Alaska, Winston," she said dropping her hand down to curve it around her coffee cup. "He's been in a mood since that reporter dropped him hotter than one of those guys on Fourth Street trying to sell watches."

"I would have to agree that his behavior has taken a down swing as of lately," Egon said.

Janine turned to look at the man and tilted her head to the side. "You think, Egon?" She turned back to look at Ray and sighed. "If you guys don't do something soon I'm going to do it." Slowly walking towards the doorway to leave the kitchen she looked back over her shoulder. "And if that means tying him down and giving him what he wants, I'm willing to take one for the team."

The three watched her leave before turning back to each other. Ray tightened the lid on his bottle and nodded.

"I'm going to make reservations for Friday night. We'll just have to lie to him to get him there."

"Why not just tell the truth to him?"

"I don't think that would be wise, Winston," Egon said, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "If we told him that we were arranging a date for him he would protest and that would be the end of it."

"I'm with Egon here," Ray said, pointing the top of his bottle at the man that stood on the other side of the small kitchen. "If Peter knew who we were going to set him up with he'll put up a fight and then…" His voice trailed off as he shook his head. "I don't want him to say or do anything that will hurt her more."

"Then why do it? Sadie's a good woman. Why set them up in the first place?"

"Because I think that there could be something there if they just gave each other a chance," Ray said.

The three stood in silence for a moment, thinking about what they were doing. Finally Winston pushed himself off the counter and looked at the others.

"Let's do it?" he said before leaving the kitchen.

Ray began to follow Winston out of the kitchen but was stopped by Egon who placed his hand on his shoulder. Looking back he frowned when he saw the look of deep thought on his friend's face. "What's wrong?"

"Do you…do you think that…" Egon couldn't get his question out. Just the thought of it was making him sick to his stomach.

His eyelids lifted as his eyes widened. "Oh. You mean about what Janine said?"

Nodding, Egon dropped his hand to his side. "Yes. That would be the question."

Laughing, Ray turned to pat his friend on the shoulder. "Not in a million years."

Blowing out a sigh of relief, Egon nodded. "Very good," he said. "Now, let's make reservations and hope for the best."


	3. First Impressions

Chapter Three – First Impressions

Sadie tapped her finger on the counter surrounding the restaurant's bar and sighed. Glancing down at her watch, she frowned. He was ten minutes late. It wasn't looking good he was already looking at one strike against him now.

This wasn't how she wanted to spend her Friday evening, sitting at a restaurant on the lower east side waiting for a man that she didn't even know to have dinner with. She couldn't believe that she was going through with this; if it wasn't because Ray had talked her into it then she would have said no. Taking a deep breath, she sighed again as she lifted her hand to wave to get the bartender's attention.

She had spent most of the day mentally preparing herself for the evening out with the stranger. Her stomach was in knots worrying about things that she hadn't been concerned about for almost fourteen years when she was dating her late husband. What clothes to wear, shoes, if one piece of jewelry looked better than another? It was difficult for her to make a decision and the stack of clothes draped over her bed that she had tried on and dismissed was proof.

Going with a simple black dress and sensible heels, she wore a string of pearls that Jimmie had bought her for their fifth anniversary along with a matching pair of earrings. Her honey brown hair was lifted up in a clip at the back of her head with small ringlets hanging down to frame her face. She feared she was making a bad mistake but after ordering a drink from the bartender she was beginning not to care if he was going to make an appearance or not.

When the bartender returned with her drink, Sadie picked it up and enjoyed the weight of the glass tumbler in her hand. Never much for drinking, she occasionally enjoyed a drink in solitude after a long day at the store. Not that running a bookstore was very stressful but she had her days of stress with making payments, keeping up with the bills and just surviving each day as they came.

Closing her eyes, she took a slow sip of her scotch and lowered the tumbler from her lips. She compromised with herself. Give the man another ten minutes, long enough for her to enjoy her drink before she left the restaurant to return home. Then in the morning she would politely tell Ray thank you for trying but no more blind dates. Her hands were still trembling at the very thought of what she was doing.

Ten more minutes she told herself. After that she would be gone and go back to her solitary life.

Peter Venkman slid his legs out of the taxi and stood up. Leaning over inside the passenger window he paid the driver the toll. Straightening himself, he walked over to the front entrance of the restaurant. Checking his appearance one last time in the darkened windows he ran a hand through his hair and sighed.

He hated blind dates, they were too unpredictable. Peter preferred knowing what he was getting into from the very beginning. That's why it was easier to pick up women at the bar because they had the same agenda. Mindless sex with a complete stranger with no strings attached. Nothing complex, no worries the next day. What was so wrong with that?

He was finding a great deal wrong with that as of lately. His life was rotating in a spiral that never seemed to end. Endless dates with women that either wanted him because of his reputation and notability, the other women just wanted to only hook up when schedule time was allowed. That was how to sum up his last relationship.

Alana Ferguson, rising star at Channel 6. She was beautiful and smart. It started as an interview, leading into a couple of dates and a weekend getaway. Peter had everything perfect for the weekend, a rare opportunity that he took time away from the job. The only problem was that just when he was about to believe that it was time to actually take that step forward and think about his future with just one woman he was rejected. She was no longer interested in him and had moved on to bigger and better things with an up and coming business tycoon.

Snorting, Peter thought good riddance. The last thing he really needed was to think about settling down and dreams of white picket fences and two kids running around.

Only he was starting to feel that missing spot in his life, the ache of what he wanted. Yet he couldn't stop but feel that cloud hanging over him. Sins of the father visited upon the son. Just the concept of being like his father loomed over his head like a black cloud that followed him everywhere. If that wasn't enough not to want children then he didn't know what was.

"Evening, Dr. Venkman," the doorman said as he stepped to the side to open the door for Peter as he approached.

"How ya doing?" he said as he stepped inside.

Looking around the foyer of the pricey restaurant he looked for the woman that he was supposed to be meeting for the arranged date. The only information he was given by Ray was that she would be dressed in a black dress and light brown hair. Shaking his head, that description just applied to half of the women that were at the place.

"Can I help you, Dr. Venkman?" the maitre'd asked as he looked up from his scheduling book.

"I'm supposed to meet someone here tonight."

The maitre'd cocked an eyebrow as he looked at him and slowly nodded. Peter wasn't impressed with him or his fake French accent.

"Ah, yes. She's been expecting you for some time now."

His eyebrows furrowed as he watched the man step around the podium where he was positioned at. "What do you mean? Some time now?"

"You're reservation was made for seven-thirty. It's nearly eight now."

Closing his eyes, Peter slapped himself in the forehead and groaned. That's why Ray was yelling at him before he left the firehouse, telling him that he needed to hurry up. Here he was thinking that he was early and now he was finding out that he was late.

"She still here?" Peter asked.

"Barely, sir. I believe she had decided to order and then leave."

He stood still, planted to the spot where he was. One thought was that since she most likely considered him a no show then he could just leave and she'd never know that he was there. Or two, he could go ahead and meet the woman. The worst she could do was telling him to get lost and leave herself. At least then he could get something to eat because he was hungry.

Might as well see what she looks like, he thought to himself. "Where she at?"

"This way, sir," the maitre'd said as he turned to lead Peter through the dining room.

Peter looked around the large dining room, looking at the women along the route that the maitre'd lead him by. Several elderly women eating with their families. A pregnant woman sitting with her significant other, holding hands across the table as they talked. A couple of women caught his eyes but he quickly turned away as soon as he saw the men with them. No one seemed to fit the bill that Ray had described.

"Here you are, sir."

He stopped at the table in the rear of the dining room. A secluded corner where it wouldn't draw too much attention. He mused that Ray had done this to protect the woman that he had been set up with some privacy. Ray's concept of allowing Peter and the woman to get to know each other. His idea of getting to know a woman only lasted long enough to get them in bed, names sometimes was an optional bonus.

The maitre'd moved to the side to allow him a chance to finally see the woman. His eyebrows furrowed as he watched her lower her menu. The frown on her face was apparent that she was no happy.

"You're Sara? Ray's friend."

She lowered the menu and sat it on the table. Pushing her chair back, she stood up and shook her head. "It's Sadie. And yes, I'm Ray's friend." Picking up her purse, she stepped closer to Peter and sighed. "And you're a half hour late."

"You can't hold that against me, honey," Peter said as he looked down at her. "I'm here, right?"

Sadie pulled the thin strap of her purse over her shoulder as she looked at him. "Yes, I can." She stepped closer to him, her eyes narrowing. "And don't you ever call me honey. Or any other term of endearment without my permission."

Peter's frown grew. "Look, babe. I'm here just like you because of Ray. So I think we should make the most of it."

Her cheeks heated with disgust. "Most of it? Then by all means, please have dinner. It will just be without me."

Just as she began to take a step away to leave, Peter opened him mouth and said what he was thinking. "Damn. What crawled up your ass?"

She stopped her retreat and spun around on her heel. "Excuse me?"

Lifting his hand, he pointed at her. "It's a nice ass too, sugar. But you got your panties in a bunch. So what if I'm late. It's just dinner and who knows maybe if you're lucky you'll get me for dessert."

The anger raged in her eyes. She had never had any man talk to her like this. Blatant disregard to her wishes, crass, brazen and rude. Not to mention he was handsome and had eyes that she could feel the butterflies in her stomach fluttering around in a frenzy.

"You are disgusting, Dr. Venkman."

"And you're an uptight wasp." He folded his arms across his chest and cocked his head to the side. She wasn't the type of woman that he would have considered giving his time to, he was here because of Ray. There was no denying that in her own fashion she was a good looking woman, just not one that he would have given time to. "We both know why we're here."

"And what pray tells is that?"

Taking a step closer, he leaned down to bring his lips to her ear. "I'm here because Ray thought I needed a woman. And you're here because you wanted to know what it's like to be with Dr. V," he said just above a whisper.

Sadie took a step back, lifted her hand and slapped him across the face. She watched as Peter recoiled, covering his cheek with his palm. "Think again, Dr. Venkman. Not all women are excited over men like you. Men that don't know a thing about how to treat a woman right, treat them with respect." She lowered her hand and grabbed her sweater off the back of the chair and turned to look at him one last time. "Good evening, Dr. Venkman."

He watched her turned and head through the dining room, never looking back. Rubbing his cheek he blew out a heavy breath. Yeah, that went well, he thought.

"Will you still be joining us for dinner, Dr. Venkman?" the maitre'd asked as he looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

Peter rolled his eyes and sighed. You know what? He thought to himself, this isn't my fault.

He turned to look at the maitre'd and shook his head. "No. Just bill me."


	4. Round Two

Chapter Four – Round Two

Tonight was a bad mistake she thought as she stepped out of the restaurant and stood on the crowded sidewalk. Pulling her sweater tight around her body, she lifted her hand to wipe the tears that were slowly falling down her face.

She didn't know anything about dating, about being with another man. Jimmie had been her life since the day she had met him before that there was nothing. Just the mere concept of being with another man frightened her to her core.

"Where the hell are you going?"

Hearing the voice coming through the noisy streets caused her hands to tremble more than what they were. But when she felt his warmth as he moved to stand in front of her she could feel the air from her lungs being sucked out causing her to feel lightheaded.

"I'm…I'm so sorry," she forced out her quivering lips. "This was such a big mistake."

Peter looked down at her, seeing the tears in her eyes. Pretty much any of the women he knew never would have apologized when they slapped him. Much less start crying over it. His chest tightened as he looked at her. Taking in a deep breath, he shook his head.

"I'm sorry, too," he said. Reaching out, he took one of her trembling hands into his. "C'mon. Let's go someplace quieter so we can talk."

Any thought of pulling away and running was lost as she felt the strong hand hold hers. She followed him obediently to the curb where he waved down a taxi. Opening the door, Sadie watched as he stepped to the side and allowed her to enter first and followed her inside. He gave directions to the driver and sat back, still holding her hand in his.

Turning to look at her, he smiled as she wiped the last of the tears from her face. Her hands weren't trembling as much as they had been at the beginning and he thought she was starting to calm down more.

"Let's try this again," Peter said as he turned on the seat a little to face her. Giving her hand a gentle squeeze, his smile grew. The smile he wore to make women melt and old women want to pinch his cheeks. "I'm Ray's friend, Peter Venkman."

Sadie's lips curled upward into a smile. Nodding, she said, "I'm Sadie McDonnell."

"Nice to meet you, Sadie."

Peter picked up the fork and stabbed at the pile of cheese fries that covered his plate. Laughing, he lifted his eyes to look at her. "I couldn't get my hair down for a week."

Lowering her cup of coffee from her lips, she looked across the table booth at the man that sat across from her in the small diner in Hell's Kitchen, not too far away from her store in Midtown Manhattan. They had spent the last two hours talking about recent events, the Yankees, the Jets, and most recently Peter's work.

"That must have been hard on you?"

He half shrugged as he chewed on his fries. "Well, for a vain guy like me yeah it was hard."

Sadie sighed heavily as she slowly nodded her head. "I really can't tell you how sorry I am about what happened. I just…" Her voice trailed off as she sat her coffee cup down on the saucer. "How much did Ray tell you about me?"

Shaking his head, he sat his fork down on the empty plate and picked up his cup of coffee. "Nothing. I didn't know who he was setting me up with. Just said it was a friend of his."

She folded her hands together and rested them on the table as she looked across at him. "Ray was a friend of my husband's."

Frowning, his eyebrows narrowed. "You're married?"

"Was. I'm a widow."

Reaching across the table, Peter covered her hands with his. "I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thank you," she said nodding. "It's been almost three years now since Jimmie was killed."

His brain worked hard to filter all of the information. The psychologist was deep in thought as he deciphered everything that had been said, all the events that had taken place. She was still struggling with the grief, with the guilt. That's why she reacted as she did at the restaurant earlier. The woman now was much different than the woman earlier.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I understand," he said.

"It's difficult for me to talk about it at times, Peter," she answered truthfully. She gave him a faint smile as she slowly inhaled. "I've struggled with Jimmie's death. It's been hard for me to move on with my life without him."

"That's understandable. When you have a loss of a loved one, whether it's a spouse or parent or someone else, it's a difficult road for you to move past your grief to go on." He squeezed her hand gently. "However you should know that your life must continue one. You can still carry their memory with you in your heart, in your thoughts, but also live your life to your fullest."

Nodding, Sadie turned her hand in his so she could twine her fingers with his. "Don't you think that I haven't been told that before."

"I'm sure you have." He nodded his head and tried to think of something to say that would take the pressure off of her again. "I remember hearing Ray talk about him. He was a firefighter, right?"

"He was. He worked on with an engine unit on the East Side," Sadie said. She struggled not to start crying again. This was the most that she had talked about what happened to anyone since right after the accident. Yet talking to the man about how she felt was like having the weight lifted from her heart. "It was a structural fire; Jimmie was heading upstairs to make sure that everyone had been evacuated." She paused to take a breath to calm her heart that pounded in her chest. From what I was told was that at the time the fire wasn't that bad, that they were containing it well. There must have been a hot spot that went through the walls, into the ceiling. He wasn't able to get out in time before the ceiling began to fall."

"He was a hero," Peter said. "I'm sure you're very proud of whom Jimmie was and what he did."

"Very proud," she said, her voice cracking as she lifted her free hand to wipe a tear that had began to fall. She shook her head and smiled. "Thank you."

He smiled as he tightened his hold on her hand. "You're welcome."

Sadie's eyes lowered from Peter's. She knew that if she continued to stare into his eyes then she would surely get lost in the soft brown orbs. Looking down at her watch, she sighed. There had no thought regarding time while they sat there talking until the conversation turned to her.

"I can't believe it. It's almost midnight," she said. "I have to open the store at eight in the morning."

He nodded as he released her hand to reach behind him to retrieve his wallet from his back pocket. Glancing at the bill, he shook his head when he saw her opening her purse. "Don't you dare. It's on me."

"I can't."

"Sure you can," he said depositing the money on the table. Sliding out of the booth, he stood up and held out his hand. "Share a cab?"

"But aren't you going the other way? I live on the lower east side," she said.

Peter shrugged. "It will give us a little more time together. Besides, if I go back to the firehouse now the guys will think I've had a bad time."

She stopped when they reached the sidewalk and turned to look up at him. "Have you had a bad time?" she asked nervously.

He shook his head. "Not really. The first round was a little rough but the second round seemed to come out well, don't you think?"

"I'd like to think so."

"Good."


	5. Unexpected Guest

Chapter Five – Unexpected Guest

The taxi pulled up in front of Sadie's apartment building and stopped. Opening the door, Peter slid out of the cab and stepped out onto the sidewalk. Taking her hand he helped Sadie out of the vehicle and smiled. Lifting his free hand he rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at her.

"Well, I should be going," Peter said.

Sadie shook her head and squeezed his hand. "You don't have to." She bit her lower lip and slowly blew out a breath. "I mean…unless you need to."

He released her hand as he walked over to the taxi and leaned forward. Paying the driver he turned back around to face her. "I'm in no rush to get back." Taking several steps toward her, he took her hand into his once again. "Besides the guys will call me if they need me."

Peter followed her upstairs to her apartment and wondered if he was making the right decision. Any other woman that would have taken him to their apartment it was for one thing only and it wasn't just to continue to talk. There was something about the woman that scared him. And as he watched her hand tremble to reach out to insert the key into the lock he knew that he was making a big mistake. She wasn't the kind of woman that was inviting him for a one-night stand and not expects a phone call the next day.

He laughed when she finally was able to unlock the first lock. "You want me to do that?"

Nodding, Sadie stepped back and sighed. "Please." Watching Peter turn the key, she said, "Sorry. I don't know what my problem is."

Lifting an eyebrow, Peter looked back over his shoulder at her. Her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "You trying to hide a dozen cats? Messy sink?"

She released a nervous laugh. "Allergic to cats and all of my dishes are in the washer. Nothing to hide really." She took a deep breath as Peter turned to face her. "It's been a while since I've had anyone here besides family."

Taking her hand, Peter squeezed it gently. "If you want me to leave, I will. I don't want you doing anything that you don't want to do."

"No. I want you to."

Turning the door knob, Peter pushed the door open and stepped to the side to let her enter first. But when he took a deep breath and inhaled the familiar scent he held out his arm to stop her from stepping inside.

"What?" she said, looking up at him.

Peter shook his head and urged her back. "Just a feeling. Let me go inside first," he said as he reached down into his pocket to retrieve his cell phone. "If I tell you to, I want you to run and call the guys."

"But – "

"Just do it, okay," he said placing his hand on her shoulder. He urged her to step back into the hallway with a strong hand before turning back to the apartment. "I mean it. Don't come – "

He was cut off from his orders when a rush of energy lifted him off his feet and back across the hallway to the wall behind him. Sadie released a scream as she felt the icy hands wrap around her body to lift her up.

"Peter!" she screamed as she was pulled into the apartment and the door slammed shut as she entered the room.

Scrambling to his feet, Peter grabbed at the doorknob and began to push on the door, attempting to open it. The door didn't budge; it was sealed tight by the thick ectoplasmic ooze that was forming around the doorframe.

"Open the door!" Peter screamed. "Now! Damnit!"

He heard Sadie's screams coming from inside the apartment. Her cries were growing weaker by the second. Taking a step back, he leaned down to pick up his cell phone that rested on the floor near his feet. Dialing the numbers quickly he pushed on the door again with his shoulder.

"Ghostbusters," came the sleepy voice of Ray.

"We have a serious problem," Peter said as he began to slam his fist against the door.

"What kind of problem?" Ray questioned, his voice getting louder as he woke up more. "Something happen with you and Sadie?"

"I'd say so," Peter said as he watched the ooze streamed out of the narrow space of the doorframe and began to cover the completely. Taking a deep breath, he sighed as the door was completely covered with the ooze. "Something bad…real bad."

"What did he say?" Winston asked as they entered the apartment building.

During the ride over, Ray had been vague during the ride to their destination. All that was said as soon as Ray hung up with Peter was that there was a problem and they needed to get there quickly. He had tried to get through to Peter on the phone the entire ride but was only receiving voice mail.

"Something bad," Ray answered. "He just said something happened and that we needed to get here and bring the packs."

"Then it'd be a logical assumption that the date isn't what took the decline," Egon said as he unhooked the PKE meter from his belt and switched it on. Looking up from the digital display, he cocked an eyebrow and looked at the other two men. "That is, unless Mrs. McDonnell isn't more than she appears to be."

"Are you saying there's something wrong with Sadie?" Ray asked as they walked into the building.

Egon shook his head. "That may be accurate." Adjusting the settings, his lips pursed tightly as he studied the display. "Or that there may be something associated with her that may be causing the disruption."

"Then there's really something going on here?" Winston asked.

"I'm saying that there is some definite activity occurring in the building."

The meter continued to make a beeping noise that grew louder as the elevator ascended to the fourth floor. Ray nervously chewed on his fingernail as he listened to the noise produced from the meter and when he caught a glimpse of the display.

"This isn't going to be good," Ray said quietly.

Winston turned to look at the other man to question what he had said but stopped when the elevator doors opened. Standing there waiting impatiently was Peter.

"I can't get in there. The door's sealed up tight," he said as he grabbed the spare pack from Winston.

"Exactly what happened?" Egon asked.

Shrugging into the straps of the pack, Peter looked at the three. "We came back here, opened the door and then the next thing I knew was being thrown back against the wall and Sadie was pulled into the apartment. That stuff started seeping out of the door and turned hard as a brick."

"It took Sadie?" Winston asked. "What was it?"

Peter lowered his head and sighed. "I don't know. I blacked out for a minute when I hit the wall." Lifting his head, he saw the worried expression of Ray. "I'm sorry, Ray. There was nothing I could do."

Ray nodded as he turned to look at the door. "I know, Pete. But I'm sure we can do something now."

Egon shook his head as he lifted his eyes from the meter. "I wouldn't be so sure of that."


	6. Ghosts of the Past

Chapter Six – Ghosts of the Past

Sadie sank down in a corner of what was once her living room. Her shoes had been lost in the struggle of being dragged into the apartment. Her dress covered with something that she couldn't describe or even wanted to know about. Fear shook through her body as she huddled into a ball, backed in the corner as her eyes studied her small apartment.

The apartment was dark, darker than just the night but something that made it seem blacker than that. Sounds filled her ears, coming from all around her but nowhere that she could pinpoint where it was produced. It was colder in the apartment than it normally would be. Even in the hottest of summers she didn't keep her home this cold. It was the chill of death that she felt, a feeling that she had felt before.

"What do you want?" she forced out, her voice cracking from her trembling lips. "Why are you here?"

There was no answer, just an eerie laugh from somewhere deep inside the apartment. Sadie's eyes tried to search through the darkness but couldn't find anything or anyone that could have made the noise. Her legs shook as she tried to pull herself up to stand.

"Please…" she begged. "Why are you doing this to me?"

Once again there was a moment of silence until the laugh was heard again.

"You know why," came the answer once the laughter stopped. The voice sounded angry, harsh.

Shaking her head, she lifted her hand to wipe the tears from her face. "No. No I don't. Please tell me."

"You have done wrong, Sadie McDonnell. You broke a promise."

Gathering her fists at her side, she swallowed the lump in her throat. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked out into the darkness. "I don't know what you're talking about!" she screamed. "What promise?"

She felt an icy breeze over her body as strong hands wrapped around her upper arms as the ethereal light appeared before her and took shape. Her eyes widened as she watched as the light began to form into the creature that was holding her.

"My…God…" she whispered.

"You broke your vows, Sadie. You vowed to be my wife until death."

She shook her head. "No, Jimmie!"

The ghostly form of her deceased husband stared back at her. Clothed in his dress uniform from the fire department, the fabric looked tattered and old. His vacant eyes looking down at her with a wide smile on his face.

"That's not our vows," she cried. "It was until death do us part. You're dead."

He shook his head, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth. "And soon you will be too. Then we will never part."

"What the hell is it?" Peter asked as he looked at the ooze covered door.

Egon reached a hand out to touch the hardened material with his finger and studied the texture beneath the pad of his finger tip. Leaning in closer, he inhaled sharply and sniffed.

Frowning, Peter placed his hand over his stomach. "If you're going to lick that shit I'm going to hurl."

Cocking an eyebrow, Egon looked back over his shoulder at the other man. "I'm trying to distinguish what it is made of."

"Eww." Peter felt his stomach flip. After all of these years he thought he would have gotten used to Egon's methods of investigations. But every now and then – like this time – he could feel his supper requesting a return visit. "Don't even think of it."

Standing up straight, Egon took a step back away from the door and turned to the three men. "It's ectoplasm. It has hardened as a protective shell to keep anyone from entering."

"Or keep anyone from escaping," Winston added. "And Sadie's behind that door."

"We have to get her out of there," Peter said as he lifted his finger to point at the door. "She's in there with God knows what. We just can't leave her in there."

Ray's eyes closed as he shook his head. This wasn't happening. Not now it just couldn't be.

"What is it, Ray?" Winston asked. He was growingly concerned with the other man whom had remained silent since they had reached the building. Locking his thoughts in his own mind, not sharing what was going on inside his mind.

The other two men turned to look at the quiet member of their group. Peter's brows furrowed as he looked at the man.

"What's up, Ray? What aren't you telling us?" Peter questioned as he took a step forward.

Swallowing hard, Ray blew out a heavy breath. "It's Jimmie."

"What?" Winston said.

Pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, Egon began to calculate the information in his mind. "The deceased husband?"

Ray sighed as he nodded. "It has to be. I remember something that he had said one time to me. Something that really didn't mean much at the time but now it makes perfect sense."

Throwing his arms into the air, Peter spun around to look at the door. He pointed at the door and turned back to look at the other three men. "You mean her dead husband has come back for her? Seriously, is that what the hell's going on here?"

A slow nod tilted Ray's head forward. "Yeah. I think so."

"Why now?" Winston asked. "Why not when he first died?"

Egon adjusted the PKE meter again and lifted his eyes from the readings. "Has she been involved with anyone prior to this evening?" he asked.

Remaining silent, Ray shook his head slowly. This had been her first date since Jimmie's death. Sadie had showed no interest in continuing her life after her husband's passing until he had pressured her into the blind date with Peter. Slowly inhaling, he quickly blew it out his mouth. "No."

"Then I am to assume that Peter was her first outing with a member of the opposite sex?"

Nodding again, Ray lifted his hand and ran it through his hair. "Yeah."

Peter frowned as he looked at Ray then Egon. "What are you thinking, guys? If it's what I think it is I don't like it."

Lowering the PKE meter, Egon looked at the door once again. "I believe that would be a reasonable assumption."

Staring at the door, Peter began to worry more than he was already. He didn't like this at all. He barely knew the woman but had begun to develop something for her, what it was he wasn't sure of. What he didn't like knowing that she was trapped in there with something that didn't have her best intentions.


	7. Into the Fire

Chapter Seven – Into the Fire

"We need to get in there before that asshole does something to her," Peter said as he paced back and forth. Pausing he looked at Ray and aimed a finger at him. "Let me guess. The guy was possessive wasn't he? Didn't like her being around other men, right?"

Ray slowly nodded his head. "Not really. I mean…" He paused to take a deep breath and slowly exhaled. "Jimmie loved her; there wasn't anything that he wouldn't have done for Sadie when he was alive."

When Ray didn't continue fast enough for Peter, he stepped in front of his friend and looked at him. "What, Ray?"

"He just didn't want her to be with anyone else."

Running his hand through his hair, Peter blew out a heavy breath. "Obsessive, huh?"

Holding out his hand, Ray continued to plead his case. "I don't think he would have done anything to hurt her when he was alive. He just took his vows to the limit."

"Oh. So 'until death do us part' actually means 'even if I'm dead you can't be with anyone else or your cheating on me'? Is that what you're saying, Ray?" Peter said.

Winston shook his head, sighing. "Give him a break, Pete. I don't think Ray saw this coming or he would have said something before now."

"That would be an accurate assumption," Egon added. "What little I knew of the decedent I wouldn't believe that he was capable of transcending the narrow gateway of the netherworld to prevent his wife from moving on with her existence."

Pursing his lips, Peter slowly nodded his head. A heavy breath escaped him as his head slowly bobbed up and down, nodding to what his friends were saying. "Yeah," he said softly. Turning around, he stepped over to the door and stared at it. "Figure we could just blow it up?"

Shaking his head, Egon turned around to face the door once again. He had been attempting to calculate the long stream of equations in his head, determining whether or not the proton packs would be useful against the thick substance that covered the door. Even if useful to break the material he was still uncertain what actually lied behind the door on the other side.

"It is possible. Maybe to find the right frequency that would neutralize the substance. It would be a case of trial and error until we are able to discover the proper combination that would create the erosion of the material for us to enter."

Peter snorted as he rolled his eyes. Some days listening to Egon talk was like driving a stake through the bottom of his foot. A slow, agonizing pain that only got worse the further it sent inside. Shaking his head, he sighed. This was not the time to get frustrated of Egon talking or any other thing that had been bothering him. All he could think about was getting inside that apartment.

"This is really pissing me off," he said as he raised his fist to punch what once was the door.

Ray's eyes widened as he watched Peter's fist move in the direction of the door and continue to go forward. Straight into the ectoplasmic substance that was blocking their entrance. "Holy shit," he muttered.

"What the – " Peter said as he stopped his hand from moving any further. He was already up to his elbow in the substance and began to pull his arm back out. "How the hell…"

Winston moved forward and placed his palm on the hard substance. Pressing his hand against it, he frowned. "It's not moving."

Experimenting, Egon did the same thing. Reaching out his hand, he placed his palm on the surface and pushed against it. The material remained hard, unmovable. His eyebrows furrowed as he stepped away from the door. "If you don't mind, Peter. Will you please touch the door once again?"

Peter looked at the other man and shrugged, cants his head. "Might as well."

He took in a long deep breath through his nose and slowly blew it out his mouth as he reached his hand out to touch the door again. Placing his palm on the door he gave it the gentlest of pushes before his hand began to sink into the substance.

"Describe it," Egon said as he held the PKE meter near Peter's arm as he continued to push his arm into the door.

"Doesn't feel like anything," he answered. "Feels like just waving my arm in the air."

Ray's eyebrow lifted as he moved closer. "Nothing? Wow, that's incredible."

"Yes…well," Egon began as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It is interesting how the substance is allowing you entrance where it won't – "

"He's right!" Ray exclaimed. "I don't feel anything either."

Winston and Egon looked at each other briefly before turning to look back at the other two men who had their arms embedded in the substance.

"It does make sense."

"What's that, Egon?" Winston asked.

"It's possible that Peter has developed some bond with Mrs. McDonnell during this short period of time. You yourself, Ray, have had a personal relationship with her for several years now."

"So it's allowing us to get in?" Ray said.

Egon lowered the PKE meter slightly to look at Ryan. "So it would seem."

Peter watched as the three other members of the group gathered together, talking about the options. How they were going to use this new information? What would be the first step to take prior to entering the apartment? He didn't have time to think about it or to talk about it. Sadie was inside that apartment, having God knows what happen to her. Taking the thrower into his hand, he took a deep breath and pushed his way through the material that had been holding them back.

"What the hell?" Winston said as he turned away just in time to see Peter disappear behind the blocked door.

"Looks as though Peter felt the need to take matters in his own hands," Egon said as he followed the others and removed the thrower from the proton pack that was strapped to his back.

"Might as well go after him before something happens," Winston said.

Ray nodded as he took a deep breath. "Guess you guys need to take my sleeve and we'll see if this works."

Winston and Egon reached out their hands to take hold of the upper sleeves of Ray's coveralls. Staring at the door, the three slowly moved to step through the barrier.


	8. Darkness Fall

Chapter Eight – Darkness Fall

Peter took a long deep breath and tried to settle his nerves. He'd been at this far too long to let every job get to him but in situations like this he couldn't stop himself. When children or innocent people were involved then he had trouble. He felt the need to protect them from harm. And even thought he hadn't known Sadie very long he knew she was an innocent in this. She didn't deserve her deceased husband to come back with some sort of twisted notion.

After stepping into the apartment, he found himself in her living room. The room was colder than anything he had felt before. It might be the middle of summer outside but in that apartment it felt like the middle of winter in the Arctic.

"Sadie!" he called out, his breath visible in front of him. "Sadie! Where are you?"

He heard a noise behind him and quickly turned with his blaster in hand. He backed down when he saw Ray, Egon and Winston stepping inside. Exhaling a heavy breath, he closed his eyes and shook his head. He was getting trigger happy because he was nervous.

"She can't be too far. The apartment's not that big," Peter said.

Egon pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose as he studied the readings from his PKE meter. "We're in the epicenter of the activity. The meter's hot."

"You can feel it," Winston said as he looked around. "And I'm not talking about the cold."

Ray nodded. "I'm hazarding a guess that the cold is being produced by Jimmie."

"No shit, Ray," Peter said, rolling his eyes.

"What I mean…Peter," Ray said, turning to look at the other man. "Is that Jimmie was a fireman. He was surrounded by heat all of the time with his occupation. I think that as a ghost it's a negative response in the real world."

Winston looked at Ray, frowning. "So, you're saying that since he was hot all of the time when he was alive as a fireman, now that he's dead he's cold?"

"That's a logical assumption," Egon said as he looked up briefly from the meter he held to look at the other three men. "My best guess is that we'll find her in the bedroom."

"The bedroom?" Ray questioned. "Why would they be there?"

Holding up his hand, Peter stopped Ray from asking any other questions. "I'm not in the mood to go into details right now, Ray. Wait until this is all over." Turning back to the other two men, he motioned towards the back of the apartment. "We get there and keep your trigger finger steady. We need to make sure we don't hit Sadie." He turned back to Ray. "I think you need to take point. Jimmie knows you. He might not freak out so much when he sees you come through the door first."

Ray nodded. "I agree."

Taking the rear, Peter followed the other three men as they slowly walked through the living room. It gave him time to look around the room. It was obvious to him that the woman was very family oriented. Pictures lined the walls of family, frames sitting on the mantle. On the end table, he paused momentarily to pick up a silver frame that contained a wedding photo of Sadie and Jimmie. Now he saw the face to the man that he was about to be meeting.

Back in his mind, he was sure that he had met the man before in passing but couldn't really remember who he was. He had met so many people over the years as a Ghostbuster that it was hard to remember everyone. The man might have been a friend of Ray's but Ray made friends with everyone.

The four moved into the hallway and paused at each door to open it. The first room on the right of the hallway was the bathroom. Directly across the hallway was another room that the men discovered was an office. A desk sat to the right with a computer that was blowing smoke out of, the supernatural presence in the apartment was taking its toll on the electrical equipment. The TV on the other side of the room was full of static and making strange squeals and popping noises.

Winston took a deep breath as he reached out for the doorknob of the next door that was on their left. He slowly twisted the knob and pushed the door open to find that it was a spare room. The radio and TV making loud noises just as the other rooms. He turned back to look at the other three and pointed to the last door.

Looking over his shoulder at the other three men, Ray mouthed the words "Ready?" and waited for the others to respond. When the other three nodded and lifted their blasters to ready position, Ray turned back around and reached for the doorknob. Slowly turning it, he waited until it was completely turned before pushing the door open.

"Go away, Ray," Jimmie said.

Ray's eyes widened when he saw the apparition of his former friend standing at the foot of the bed. The man wore a tattered dress uniform, his eyes dark as he turned to look over his shoulder at the four men that had entered the bedroom.

"What are you doing, Jimmie?" Ray asked.

"I'm taking what is mine," Jimmie said as he turned to look at the woman that was stretched out on the bed in front of him. "She made a vow to me. Promised to be faithful forever."

Turning from his former friend, Ray looked at Sadie to see if she was still alive. The woman's eyes were closed but her chest slowly lifted and lowered as she took shallow breaths. Ghostly restraints came up through the bed to wrap around her wrists and ankles to hold her down to the top of the bed. Her lips were blue, her complexion pale. Judging by the look of her they didn't have much time left before she would be just as dead as the apparition in front of them.

"You can't do this, Jimmie," Ray said as he noticed out the corner of his eye that his partners were spreading out across the room. Taking a deep breath, he turned back to the ghost. "You're hurting her."

Jimmie turned to look down at her again. His eyes never moving from her still body as he hovered at the foot of the bed. "She broke our vows."

"Aren't the vows until death do you part?" Peter said as he stepped forward, his eyes focused on the ghost. "You're gone, Jimmie. Shouldn't she be able to continue her life?"

The ghost's eyes moved from his wife to look at the man who was questioning his motives. His eyes narrowed as he looked at him. "You are the one that she betrayed me for."

Stepping forward, Peter lifted his thrower and hooked it onto his pack. He moved closer to the ghost yet keeping a good distance away in case of something happening.

"Look, Jimmie. I think you and I need to have a little talk. Man to…" Peter paused, blowing out a heavy breath. "Ghost."


	9. The Manly Thing to Do

Chapter Nine – The Manly Thing to Do

His teeth were beginning to chatter, the cold was cutting into his skin with each passing moment they were in the apartment. At first it was adrenaline keeping him warm but now as he was being stared down at by the ghost the chill was starting to tear through his body.

"Here's how it is, Jimmie," Peter said as he wrapped his arms across his chest to try to get warmer. "You've been gone for a while. She's still kept your memory going. You can tell because she still has pictures of you out there for display in the living room." He walked up next to the bed and gave a quick glance at her to make sure she was still breathing before he picked up a picture frame from the night stand. Turning back to Jimmie, he held up the frame so the ghost could see it. "See what I mean. She still loves you. She misses you. But you can't take her life just because you feel like it."

"What would you know of love, Venkman?" Jimmie said as he moved closer to the man that stood beside the bed where his wife laid unconscious. "You chase after any woman that would give you a passing glance and a smile. You don't know what it's like to be in love." He turned his eyes away from Peter to look down at his wife again. A ghostly hand stretched out to run its fingers across her cyanotic cheek. "My Sadie is different. She swore to love me forever."

"But that was until one of you died!" Peter pointed out. Taking a deep breath, he shivered as the cold air hit his lungs. It was difficult to breath, to carry a coherent thought with it as cold as it was. "Jimmie, you've been dead…what?" He looked over at Ray to get an answer and some support.

"Three years, Jimmie," Ray said. He moved to the other side of the bed and looked at the ghost. His hand withdrew from touching her when the ghost turned his dark, piercing eyes in his direction. "Sadie hasn't even thought of being with someone else since you were killed. She's lonely because she misses you so much. But you have to understand, she needs to start over again."

"You can't expect her to go the rest of her life alone just because you're not here," Peter said.

Jimmie's head tilted back as he laughed. "The rest of her life is almost over. And then she won't be lonely anymore."

The four Ghostbusters watched as Jimmie's body ascended into the air and moved to the head of the bed where he hovered above her. Lifting his hands to his sides and brought them together with a loud clap. All four men found themselves knocked back by a freezing chill, pushing them to the other side of the room and hitting the wall. Dropping to the floor, Peter released a muffled curse as he pushed himself back up to his feet.

"That's enough!" he said.

"Peter, I wouldn't advise – " Egon began until Peter's head turned to the side to shoot him a glare.

"No, Egon. This has to end now," he said before turning back to Jimmie. Lifting a trembling hand, he pointed up at the ghost. "Look here you selfish bastard. You need to let her go. You're dead, get over it. She's been trying to get over your death for three years. Tonight she went out on a date with me that Ray set us up on." He found it harder to move, the freezing temperatures in the apartment was taking its toll on his body. If something wasn't done soon, Sadie wouldn't be the only person dead in that apartment. "I listened to her talk about you, telling me stories. I know she loved you, she still does. But you can't take her life away from her just because you want to. If you ever loved her like you say you do, then you know I'm right."

Jimmie's ghost continued to hover in the air, listening to the man that stood at the foot of the bed. Below him, his wife laid there, barely clinging to life. He could feel her heartbeat becoming slower, her breathing shallower. She was just minutes – maybe seconds – away from death.

"Man, we all have had loved ones that have passed away, I know I have," Peter said as he lowered his hand to point at his own chest. "But we stay faithful to them by keeping their memories alive in here." He jabbed his finger into his chest to make a point to the ghost. "She'll never lose all of those memories she has of you, Jimmie. I don't know Sadie nearly as well as you, or maybe Ray. But what little I did get to know of her tonight, I know that she loved you and will always love you. But you have to let her go. Be thankful that she can continue her life. Whether or not she finds love again is up to her. But you should be happy for her if she does." He dropped his hands to his side and sighed. "One day you can reunite with her but until then just let her go."

The ghost lowered himself back down to the floor. His eyes never leaving the Ghostbuster that stood at the foot of the bed. Both man and ghost kept their eyes locked on each other as the ghost lifted his hand to run it over his wife's cheek one more time.

"I miss her so much," Jimmie said as he turned his attention away from the man to look down at her. "I loved her with all my heart but…"

Peter looked over his shoulder at his three friends. They were back to their feet and holding their blasters as tight as their frostbitten hands would allow. Nodding to the three, he turned back to the ghost.

"You have to let her go, Jimmie," Peter said softly. "Give her a chance to be happy again, to find love again. She'll never have the same love for any other man like what she had for you but it's not fair to her to be alone and unhappy."

The ghost lifted his eyes to look at the man that stood on the other side of the room. His dark eyes softened as well as his features. The angry scowl that had been there since they arrived was gone. "Tell her I love her."

"She already knows that, Jimmie," Peter said. He glanced down at her before looking back up at the ghost. "Why don't you let her go and tell her yourself? Tell her goodbye since you never got that chance before."


	10. Saying Goodbye Isn't Easy

Chapter Ten – Saying Goodbye Isn't Easy

The three Ghostbusters standing at the rear of the room began to feel the temperature rise. The chill slowly fading as their bodies began to thaw out from the deep freeze that they had been in. Within seconds, the temperature of the room was back to where it should have been.

The ghostly bonds that held Sadie to the bed began to fade and disappeared in a cloud of smoke as Jimmie released her. He watched as her eyes fluttered opened and found himself stared down at eyes full of fear.

"I'm sorry, Sadie," he said when he watched her try to move away from him.

Sadie sat up, swinging her legs off the bed to try to stand up. Her weak legs wobbled as she fell forward against Peter. Catching her, he wrapped his arms around her to help her stand upright. Tears soaked into Peter's shirt as she buried her face against his chest.

"Why, Jimmie…"

"I'm sorry I did this to you, Sadie," he said. "I just wanted to be with you again."

Her body shook as she slowly moved away from Peter, feeling strong enough to hold her own weight. Turning away from Peter, she looked at her deceased spouse and wiped away the tears from her face.

"You couldn't wait for me to die on my own?" she asked, her fear turning into anger as she looked at him. "How could you do this to me, Jimmie?"

The ghost watched as she used the bed frame as support to walk across the room to where he stood. She moved so she could stand in front of the corporeal spirit of her husband. He looked down at her, shaking his head.

"You can't imagine how lonely I have been without you, Sadie," Jimmie said.

"And you think that I haven't been lonely?" she questioned.

"I know you have," he answered.

"I have never stopped loving you. I still love you but…" She reached out to touch his cheek, her hand shaking from the cold of his touch. "You can't do this to me. It's not fair for you to do this."

He stared at her, his soft features hardening again. "It's not fair for you to do this to me either, Sadie." His hand lifted as he wrapped his fingers around her wrist of the hand that touched him. "It's not fair that you continue living when I can't. You made a vow to me, Sadie."

"Careful!" Peter shouted as he lifted his hand into the air. "She's in the line of fire."

"I also made a vow to you that I would love you for better or worse, Jimmie," she said. Her cheeks stained with tears. "When you died it was the worst thing I ever imagined. I've continued to love you even after you were buried. But I can't keep living my life like this."

"Then you need to come with me," he said as he spun her around and wrapped his arm around her neck. The other arm he lifted and pointed it at the Ghostbusters that were moving closer to them. "Don't!"

"Jimmie! No!" Sadie felt her feet lifting from the floor as he lifted them into the air. "You can't do this!"

"Damnit," Peter cursed as he pulled the thrower from his pack. Aiming it at the ghost, he clenched his teeth. He really thought that he had managed to talk the ghost into letting her go but obviously the ghost wasn't easily convinced. "C'mon, Jimbo. You can't do this."

The air became cold again as the four men watched Sadie struggle for breath as the specter held her in the air around the neck.

"I am taking what is mine!" Jimmie said. "You heard her. She can't live her life like this."

"That's not what she meant, Jimmie!" Ray shouted. He stepped forward, breaking his silence. "If you ever loved Sadie then let her go." He took another slow step forward. "You spent your life saving people from harm, protecting them. And now you're hurting her. Trying to kill her for your own selfish needs. That's not like you, Jimmie."

Egon looked up at the woman, frowning. "She's not going to make it much longer."

Turning to look back over his shoulder, Ray nodded at Egon. Turning back, he stared up at Jimmie. "I can't let you do this to her. You might be Jimmie but you're not the man that was my friend. My friend would never have done this."

"Just let her live her life. Say goodbye and let her go." Peter steadied his thrower at the ghost. "Otherwise, we go with option two and we blast your ass and lock you up for good."

The ghost looked at his wife that struggled in his arms. He could feel her lifeforce slowly fading as he held her against him. Sadie would be dead soon and be with him forever, just as they promised each other in their vows on their wedding day.

"I can't leave her again," Jimmie said.

"Haven't you been listening to anything she's said to you?" Peter said. "Anything Ray or I have said all this time? She loves you but when you died that was it. You moved on and she needed to move on. Can't you just go on with your existence knowing that she still loves you and let her be happy?"

Jimmie felt her go limp in his arms and lifted her up to cradle her in his arms. Lowering himself back to the floor, he stepped towards them and held her out to Ray. "I've always been jealous of her love," he said. "She loved everyone, especially me."

"She does love you, Jimmie," Ray said as he held Sadie close to his body. "But you know you could never do this to her. It's not right."

He ran a finger over her face and nodded. "I do love her, always will." He lifted his head and looked at the four men. "I should leave before I change my mind again." He took several steps back, keeping his eyes on the Ghostbusters. "Keep her safe, Ray. Even from me."

The specter slowly became transparent before he disappeared in a whiff of smoke. Once again, the temperature in the room returned to normal. All four remained on alert, needing to make sure that the spirit wouldn't return to the apartment.

Ray stepped over to the bed and laid Sadie down on top of the bed. Grabbing a quilt from the foot of the bed, he draped it over her body as she settled down against the bed and slept. Turning around, he looked at the other three men and blew out a heavy breath. "I thought we'd have to trap him," he said.

Nodding, Egon retrieved his PKE meter that had been hanging from his hip. Looking at the meter, he fine tuned it to calibrate it as he began to scan the area. "All readings are returning to normal."

Shaking his head, Winston felt a shiver run down his spine. He hated when jobs were this close, and this dangerous. "Think he'll come back? Or do you think that he's going to take off for the netherworld and stay there?"

Grabbing a chair that was sitting on the other side of the room, Peter moved it and sat it down beside the bed. "I'm sticking around to find out. Gone now or not, I'm not leaving anything to chance."

Ray looked at the man who was removing his proton pack from his shoulders and sat it down on the floor. Thrower still in hand, Peter sat down on the chair and got comfortable. "I'll stay, too. We don't need to leave her alone. Even if he doesn't come back, she's going to wake up and want to know what happened."

Turning to walk towards the bedroom door, Winston eased his hands into the pockets of his jumpsuit. "I'm going to see if the coffee pot's working again. I have a feeling it's going to be an all-nighter."


End file.
